Excellent! 3ma14 is slowly but surely coming together But the Stelvio Pass may not be possible My research so far tells me that the opening of the Pass is very weather dependent and extremely unlikely to be opened before the 1st of June. And even when it is opened the authorities at the half way point are unlikely to allow any cars without snow tyres to continue to the top. The research continues.....

Plans for 3ma14 are progressing, albeit much slower than we'd hoped It's unlikely that the Stelvio pass will be open at the end of May so our route into Italy might be a last minute decision Further details soon (hopefully)...

Having managed to beg and acquire the expert organising services of Jacquie131 one of our very few female members, accommodation deals for 3ma14 are now complete and booking details will be posted shortly.

Trying to organise a 4 day driving tour by remote control hundreds of miles away hasn't proved to be easy and therefore 3ma14 will have a fair amount of making it up as we go along But that means that all who join us will have the chance to offer their suggestions and give their input so while we have almost planned everything there will be the opportunity to change plans 'on the fly'

3ma14 will start in Heitersheim in south west Germany where we'll have an overnight stay on Tuesday 27th. So on Wednesday 28th May we start our "131 Knights Rally to Turin" by heading into northern Italy via one of the Alpine passes. Which pass we actually traverse will depend on which ones are open at the time and first choice will be the Stelvio pass. Once into northern Italy we'll drive round or past both lakes Garda and Commo and end Wendesday 28th in Varese where we'll have a 2 night stay to allow us further touring of the northern Italian lakes.

We have contacted Fiat requesting a visit to the Mirafiori factory and while we still have not had confirmation of our visit we are hoping to be able to do so or at least have lunch at the Mirafiori Village. So we'll have two nights (Friday 30th and Saturday 31st) stay in Moncalieri, a small town in the province of Turin, just 5 miles (8km) south west of Turin town centre and ideally suited for our visit to Mirafiori.

I've managed to talk my wife into joining us for the trip too, so at least Jacquie won't be the 'lone' female in the group.

I brought my Abarth out of hibernation this morning and now wish I hadn't Can't get the engine to pull in any gear and now I think the idle jet has a blockage too, so not good. I also desperately need 'outer' headlamps - preferable UK spec, but I'll consider any Carello or Siem items, at the right price obviously. Then there's the small issue of the clutch replacement and MoT which is due mid-April.

Might have to push the yellow Special into Service, although that will also need headlights for the MoT as two are seriously 'de-silvering'.

You could rent my old faithfull simon, if out all your 131 none will get you there.. talk about last minite ,all of them problems you still had on last years 3ma you keep putting these jobs off , tut tut .... only wish me and lynne was coming

As mentioned above, 3ma14 will start in Heitersheim in southwest Germany. We hope that our German and northern European 3ma friends will join us in Heitersheim and we'll then head in convoy to our second location, Varese in northern Italy. After 2 nights in Varese we'll head to Moncalieri just outside Turin which will be our final destination and another 2 nights stay.

We have negotiated deals with 3 hotels and they are holding a number of rooms for us until the 15th of April 2014.

Mixing old architecture with a modern, tasteful design, this hotel is located at the heart of the peaceful town of Heitersheim, surrounded by beautiful Black Forest countryside. Occupying a building built in 1864, the Ox Hotel offers comfortable rooms which combine regional-style elements with practical amenities.

As we have no idea of the numbers and not sure what time we'll be getting to the Ox hotel, we are suggesting just a bed and breakfast booking although the Ox does have a good restaurant and we'll probably be having dinner there on the evening of Tuesday 27th May.

A short distance from Lake Varese, this hotel features a restaurant and a wellness centre with indoor and outdoor pools. All air-conditioned rooms come with free Wi-Fi. We have negotiated a half board rate to include dinner, bed and breakfast:

The hotel La Darsena is located on the banks of the River Po in Moncalieri just a few km from Turin. All rooms are air conditioned and feature a minibar and satellite TV. Wi-Fi is free throughout. Just a 10-minute walk from Moncalieri centre and the castle. The Lingotto Congress and Exhibition Centre is just 10 minutes away by car. The restaurant La Darsena serves Mediterranean cuisine and specialities from the Piedmont region, along with vegetarian options and selected wines. You can enjoy drinks, appetizers and candle-lit dinners on the terrace with panoramic view.

We have negotiated an option on Standard and Comfort rooms. Details and prices below:

Comfort rooms have also double bed with soft duvet and four comfortable pillows, kettle with a selection of hot drinks, soft bathrobe and slippers, room service for breakfast, complimentary soft drink in the minibar, river-side room.

For dinner we have the option of group menu for ?16 per person offering three courses, ? water, ? wine, 1 coffee. But there's the option to upgrade the menu up to gourmet and tasting menu (more and various dishes) at ?20 - ?25.

As mentioned above, the hotels are holding a number of rooms for us until the 15th of April 2014 so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Unfortunately mate I can't always put 131s first, however much I might like to. I have a business to run and like you, a family to please.

The only fault I had with the Abarth last year was the clutch and I have a plan in place to sort that. The headlamps have deteriorated very quickly over the last few weeks meaning that now I have no choice but to change them. As for the carb jet blockage - this has happened during it's winter lay-up, as has the pipe perishing.

Both Italian Hotels booked and confirmed. Just waiting for the OX in Germany now.

Guys, just to add a small note to Theo's posting above. You'll need to give a credit card number to confirm your bookings - certainly with the Italian Hotels. I used my UK Visa debit - but a word of caution - may be worth informing your Bank before you book as otherwise they'll block your card and you'll spend the best part of an hour on the phone and sending apologetic emails!

At 3MA13 I had a few brake issues - The master cylinder was on the way out with a fading pedal and the front pads seemed to lose bite on the long steep mountain descents. This year the master cylinder has been replaced as have the pads with a set of Ferodo racing pads which I already have on the Sport and which are more resistant to fading. Bring on the Alpine passes!!

By coincidence the wife and I were looking for holidays at the weekend for late May / early June:). Having had a great time in the Italian Lakes in 2010 (the children say it was one of their best holidays ) we are most likely to return there.

It would be good to meet up for one of the events if possible and meet you all and of course the cars.

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